Imagery

Please note, this technique is sometimes confused with words with connotations.

Example

“The great chasm between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians”

Effect on reader

Specific words can create images in the minds of the reader. In the above example, the word “chasm” (used instead of synonyms such as “gap” or “difference”) is used because it creates an image in the reader’s mind of a physical chasm – a deep fissure in the ground such as the Grand Canyon. This image further solidifies the split between the two groups mentioned because it creates an image of something tangible for the reader to attach their understanding to.